1. Field of the Invention
In preferred embodiments, the invention relates to the detection of blood glucose, and more particularly to ratiometric correction of optical glucose measurements for potential artifacts of optical systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hyperglycemia and insulin resistance are common in critically ill patients, even if such patients have not previously had diabetes. In these situations, glucose levels rise in critically ill patients thereby increasing the risk of damage to a patient's organs. Further, studies have shown that normalization of blood glucose levels with insulin therapy improves the prognosis for such patients, thereby decreasing mortality rates.
More recent scientific evidence confirms that dramatic improvements in the clinical outcome of hospitalized Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients can result from tight therapeutic control of blood glucose to normal ranges. These studies indicate that Tight Glycemic Control (TGC) of ICU patients may reduce mortality by as much as 40%, and significantly lower complication rates. In these situations, it is necessary to accurately, conveniently and continuously monitor blood sugar in a real-time device specifically designed to meet the challenging needs of the ICU environment. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that TGC can save as many as 150,000 lives and reduce U.S. healthcare costs by as much as $18 billion annually.
Performing TGC requires continuous and accurate monitoring of a patient's blood glucose levels. Thus, there is a need for a real-time glucose monitoring system that is adapted to meet the needs of ICU patients.